Rules and Rules Chaining

Winston, Chapter 7

Michael Eisenberg and Gerhard Fischer

TA: Ann Eisenberg

AI Course, Fall 1997

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Overview
rules:
if-then rules
production systems
forward chaining
toy example: identify zoo animals
influential, classic system: R1, Xcon ---> configures
computer systems
backward chaining
toy example: bag groceries
influential, classic system: Mycin ----> diagnoses
diseases
ideas and principles that support many useful
applications of AI (e.g., expert systems)

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Definitions of Concepts
assertion:
a statement that something is true
example: Stretch is a giraffe or Stretch has long
legs
working memory:
collection of assertions
deduction systems:
then patterns specify new assertions to be placed
into working memory
antecedent: if pattern
consequent: then pattern
reaction system:
then patterns specify actions
example: put the item into the bag

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Forward Chaining and Backward Chaining

Forward Chaining:
process of moving from the if patterns to the then
patterns
whenever an if pattern is observed to match an
assertion: the antecedent is satisfied
whenever all the if patterns of a rule are satisfied --> the rule is triggered
a triggered rule establishes a new assertion ---> it is
fired

Backward Chaining:
form a hypothesis
use the antecedent-consequent rules to work
backward towards hypothesis-supporting assertions

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Example: ZOOKEEPER Identify Animals

Z1 If ?x has hair
then?x is a mammal
Z2 If ?x gives milk
then?x is a mammal
Z3 If ?x has feathers
then?x is a bird
Z4 If

?x flies
?x lays eggs
then?x is a bird

Z5 If

?x is a mammal
?x eats meat
then?x is a carnivore

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Example: ZOOKEEPER Continued

Z6 If

?x is a mammal
?x has pointed teeth
?x has claws
?x has forward-pointing eyes
then?x is a carnivore

Z7 If

?x is a mammal
?x has hoofs
then?x is an ungulate

Z8 If

?x is a mammal
?x chews cud
then?x is an ungulate

Z9 if

?x is a. carnivore
?x has tawny color
?x has dark spots
then?x is a cheetah

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Example: ZOOKEEPER Continued

Z10 If

?x is a carnivore
?x has tawny color
?x has black strips
then?x is a tiger

Z11 If

?x is an ungulate
?x has long legs
?x has long neck
?x has tawny color
?x has dark spots
then?x is a giraffe

Z12 If

?x is an ungulate
?x has white color
?x has black stripes
then?x is a zebra

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Example: ZOOKEEPER Continued

Z13 If

?x is a bird
?x does not fly
?x has long legs
?x has long neck
?x is black and white
then?x is an ostrich

Z14 If

?x is a bird
?x does not fly
?x swims
?x is black and white
then?x is a penguin

Z15 If

?x is a bird
?x is a good flyer
then?x is an albatross

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Analyze an Unknown Animal

working memory:
Stretch has hair.
Stretch chews cud.
Stretch has long legs.
Stretch has a long neck.
Stretch has tawny color.
Stretch has dark spots.
Analysis:
Stretch has hair
Z1 fires
----> mammal
Stretch is a mammal and chews cud
Z8 fires
----> ungulate
all antecedents from Z11 are satisfied
Z11 fires ----> giraffe

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--->
--->
--->

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Working Memory
A working memory is a representation in which
Lexically, there are assertions and applicationspecific symbols. There are also patterns that
contain application-specific symbols mixed with
pattern symbols.
Structurally, the assertions are lists of applicationspecific symbols.
Semantically, the assertions denote facts in some
world.
With constructors that
Add an assertion to working memory
With readers that
Produce a list of the matching assertions in working
memory, given a pattern

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Rule Base
A rule base is a representation in which
there is a working memory.
Lexically, there are rules.
Structurally, the rules consist of patterns. Some of
these patterns constitute the rule's if patterns; the
others constitute the rule's then pattern.
Semantically, rules denote constraints that enable
procedures to seek new assertions or to validate a
hypothesis.
With constructors that
Construct a rule, given an ordered list of if patterns
and a then pattern
With readers that
Produce a list of a given rule's if patterns
Produce a list of a given rule's then patterns

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ZOOKEEPER (forward-chaining version)

To identify an animal with ZOOKEEPER
Until no rule produces a new assertion or the animal
is identified,
For each rule,
- Try to support each of the rule's
antecedents by matching it to known
facts.

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If all the rule's antecedents are

supported, assert the consequent
unless there is an identical assertion
already.

Repeat for all matching and

instantiation alternatives.

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ZOOKEEPER (backward-chaining version)

ZOOKEEPER forms the hypothesis that Swifty is a cheetah. To
verify the hypothesis, ZOOKEEPER considers rule Z9, which
requires that Swifty is a carnivore, that Swifty has a tawny color,
and that Swifty has dark spots.
ZOOKEEPER must check whether Swifty is a carnivore. Two rules
may do the job, namely rule Z5 and rule Z6. Assume that
ZOOKEEPER tries rule Z5 first.
ZOOKEEPER must check whether Swifty is a mammal. Again, there
are two possibilities, rule Z1 and rule Z2. Assume that
ZOOKEEPER tries rule Z1 first. According to that rule, Swifty is a
mammal if Swifty has hair.
ZOOKEEPER must check whether Swifty has hair. Assume
ZOOKEEPER already knows that Swifty has hair. So Swifty must be
a mammal, and ZOOKEEPER can go back to working on rule Z5.
ZOOKEEPER must check whether Swifty eats meat. Assume
ZOOKEEPER cannot tell at the moment. ZOOKEEPER therefore
must abandon rule Z5 and try to use rule Z6 to establish that Swifty
is a carnivore.
ZOOKEEPER must check whether Swifty is a mammal. Swifty is a
mammal, because this was already established when trying to
satisfy the antecedents in rule Z5.
ZOOKEEPER must check whether Swifty has pointed teeth, has
claws, and has forward-pointing eyes. Assume ZOOKEEPER knows
that Swifty has all these features. Evidently, Swifty is a carnivore,
so ZOOKEEPER can return to rule Z9, which started everything
done so far.
Now ZOOKEEPER must check whether Swifty has a tawny color and
dark spots. Assume ZOOKEEPER knows that Swifty has both
features. Rule Z9 thus supports the original hypothesis that Swifty
is a cheetah, and ZOOKEEPER therefore concludes that Swifty is a
cheetah.

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ZOOKEEPER (backward-chaining version)

To identify an animal with ZOOKEEPER
Until all hypotheses have been tried and none have been
supported or until the animal is identified,
For each hypothesis,
For each rule whose consequent matches the
current hypothesis,

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Try to support each of the rule's

antecedents by matching it to
assertions in working memory or by
backward chaining through another
rule, creating new hypotheses. Be
sure to check all matching and
instantiation alternatives.

If all the rule's antecedents are

supported, announce success and
conclude that the hypothesis is true.

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Rule-Based Reaction Systems

B1

If

step is check-order
potato chips are to be bagged
there is no Pepsi to be bagged
then
ask the customer whether he would like a
bottle of Pepsi

B2

If
then

step is check-order
step is no longer check-order
step is bag-large-items

B2 (add-delete form)
If
step is check-order
delete
step is check-order
add
step is bag-large-items

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Rule-Based Reaction Systems

Continued

B3

If

step is bag-large-items
a large item is to be bagged
the large item is a bottle
the current bag contains < 6 large items
delete the large item is to be bagged
add
the large item is in the current bag

B4

if

step is bag-large-items
a large item is to be bagged
the current bag contains < 6 large items
delete the large item is to be bagged
add
the large item is in the current bag

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Conflict Resolution Strategies

Rule Ordering. Arrange all rules in one long prioritized
list. Use the triggered rule that has the highest priority.
Ignore the others.
Context limiting. Reduce the likelihood of conflict by
separating the rules into groups, only some of which are
active at any time.
Specificity ordering. Whenever the conditions of one
triggering rule are a superset of the conditions of another
triggering rule, use the superset rule on the ground that
deals with more specific situations.
Data ordering. Arrange all possible assertions in one
long prioritized list. Use the triggered rule that has the
condition pattern that matches the highest priority
assertion in the list.
Size ordering. Use the triggered rule with the toughest
requirements, where toughest means the longest list of
conditions.
Recency ordering. Use the least recently used rule.

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Forward Chaining (detailed version)

To forward chain
until no rule produces a new assertion,
For each rule,
try to match the first antecedent with an existing
assertion. Create a new binding set with variable
bindings established by the match.
Using the existing variable bindings, try to match the
next antecedent with an existing assertion. If any
new variables appear in this antecedent, augment
the existing variable bindings.
Repeat the previous step for each antecedent,
accumulating variable bindings as you go, until,
-

There is no match with any existing assertion using

the binding set established so far. In this case, back
up to a previous match of an antecedent to an
assertion, looking for an alternative match that
produces an alternative, workable binding set.

There are no more antecedents to be matched. In

this case,
-

use the binding set in hand to instantiate the

consequent.
Determine if the instantiated consequent is already
asserted. If not, assert it.
Back up to the most recent match with unexplored
bindings, looking for an alternative match that
produces a workable binding set.

There are no more alternatives matches to be

explored at any level.

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Summary
Rule-based systems were developed to take advantage
of the fact that a great deal of useful knowledge can be
expressed in simple if-then rules.
Many rule-based systems are deduction systems. In
these systems, rules consist of antecedents and
consequents. In one example, a toy deduction system
identifies animals.
Deduction systems may chain together rules in forward
direction, from assertions to conclusions, or backward,
from hypotheses to questions. Whether chaining should
be forward or backward depends on the problem.
Many rule-based systems are reaction systems. In these
systems, rules consist of conditions and actions. A toy
reaction system bags groceries.
Reaction systems require conflict-resolution strategies to
determine which of many triggered rules should be allow
to fire.
Depth-first search can supply compatible bindings for
both forward chaining and backward chaining.

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